Writing Prompts January # 6

Time goes by so quickly and though my stories are all written, it seems I need more hours in a day to fulfil all I have to do and find time for me, my writings, my kids and husband without forgetting the dog and the cat. I sometimes wonder if I should not duplicate myself to finally find those extra hours of peace.

Anyway, here is story number 6. It is a bit longer than my usual short story but I quite enjoyed writing this piece and I hope you will enjoy this one just like the others.
It is a romantic spooky tale, a style I always enjoyed reading. Now is my turn to write one.

You can also find some of my stories on Reddit under my name: Reading Freak.
As always the story, characters and settings are mines. Do not reblog or claim them to be yours.
Enjoy the reading and do not forget to leave a comment.

My bag is packed.

The house stood at the end of the one-way street and it was not different from the other houses.  It had the same red brick walls and the same black tiled roof that maybe needed repairs for some of the houses on this calm street. Some neighbours had their house painted in white or even brown, but the architecture was the same. January was hitting hard and snow was heavily falling rendering the all atmosphere of the street a bit magical or out of place. The windows of the house were dark and no smoke escaped the chimney. This house was empty.

Dana paid the taxi driver with a smile and took her travel bag out of the trunk. She winced with the weight of the bag and struggled to find her balance as the cobblestones were slippery.  The taxi turned around and quickly disappeared leaving her standing in front of the garden gate. As she crushed the snow on the pathway, she had images of her games in this garden with her older sister, Clara. At the time, it had seemed much bigger than today.
The Japanese cherry tree stood tall close to the house and under its branches were the same rusty garden chairs and table. Nothing had changed since her aunt's death a few years back and Dana smiled as she realised that her sister had kept the garden design and furniture when she inherited the house.

She put her bag on the ground and had a closer look at the outside of the house as the night was gently falling. The colour of the house front, the decorations on the doorstep, everything was exactly as she remembered it from her childhood and her last visit to her sister.
With a sigh, she picked up her bag, mounted the stairs and looked for the spare house key in her bag.  The notary told her earlier on the phone that electricity and gas were still working but that the heating would have to be started again. He only said that it was important that she took time to sort her dead sister's documents and belongings inside the house before deciding what she would do with it now that it was hers. 

Refraining her tears, she struggled with the door as her fingers were numb by the cold and she felt comforted when it finally silently opened. She had a place to spend the night at least for this first night in this city she had run away from a long time ago. She turned the lights on in the hallway and realised that Clara had also kept her aunt's decorations and furniture down to the small objects gathered on the white cupboard. The velvet wallpapers and little frames were still hanging. Nothing had changed since her last visit 3 years ago.

And with that came the realisation that she could have been closer to her sister, her once best friend and confidant. They had always been close and their 8 years age difference had never been a problem until she started working abroad. She never had enough time to come over and spend time with her sister. They only talked on the phone or through WhatsApp and Clara never asked why she avoided her or the house. She might have thought that Dana was jealous about the heritage of the house, but it was never the case. Dana was at the time happy that her sister inherited everything.  She needed a home to settle down after her divorce and the house had been a haven for Clara. She even talked about a man, her new lover, without ever giving too much information to Dana's many questions.  She seemed happy at the time. 

Walking slowly down the hallway, her bag in one hand and the other one gently moving on the frames and little objects, she entered the living room, turned the lights on and looked around. The living room had that old-fashioned touch that was now so popular in designed houses. She could not help wonder why Clara had kept everything down to the antique family portraits and paintings. The room was cosy, she could not deny it, but the whole place seemed frozen in time. She looked around and took in the vintage leather sofa and velvet easy chairs as well as the purple wallpapers covered with frames. She stepped closer to the wall near the open fire and noticed that her sister had framed a picture of her and a man.  The picture seemed recent and both were smiling under the Japanese cherry tree. 

She felt her heart tightening and tears picking her eyes as she realised how much she missed Clara.  When the notary contacted her, she was settling down in Japan in a new flat dedicated to the expatriates of the company. He went to the point, leaving no place for feelings. She had to come back quickly. Clara had died in a car crash and, as the only living relative, she had to decide what to do with her sister's legacy. So here she was, alone in an empty house, crying in front of her sister's picture and wondering how to cope with the loss.

All of a sudden, she felt more that she heard the wooden floor crack and, as she turned her head to the noise, she let out a scream. A man was standing close to the door of the living room and looking at her.

- What are you doing here? Who are you? , she tried to talk without showing fear but her voice was hoarse.

The man silently looked her up and down without even wincing and a smile slowly formed on his face.

 - The door was open, he answered, not the least disturbed by her fear.

She was sure she had closed the door behind her and fear crept once more on her skin. She tried her best not to show it to the stranger and quickly answered.

- Get out of my house! Now! I'll call the police right now.

She realised she still had her bag in her hand and let it fall on the floor. She then tried to grab her phone but her hands were shaking.

- No need for that, dear Dana. I was waiting for your return.

She froze and watched him over with horror. She completely panicked and thought for a second that she was to meet her sister sooner that she thought.

- Do not fear me. I'll never hurt you in any way. If you could only give me a moment to make a proper introduction, it will all become clear to you, pleaded the man.

Dana took a few steps back and she now stood with her back on the wall dedicated to the family portraits and the chimney. With shaking hands, she tried to find something that could be used as a weapon. The man, on the contrary, was still standing close to the door. He stared at her and she saw various feelings fighting in his eyes and on his face - sadness, need, fear and even anger. She could not help but wonder what did this all mean. 
- Please, don't hurt me. Take whatever you want and leave, was all she could utter. She was now totally terrified.
- This is exactly the one thing that I am unable to do, Dana. And you know it. Please look at me and remember. We have met before.

Feeling completely lost, Dana studied his face and figure as he now slowly walked to the centre of the room. He was tall, almost reaching the ceiling of the old house and he had broad shoulders. His clothes were dark and well-cut, probably from a tailor. He was athletic without being muscular but he had delicate features for a man. Nonetheless, his long black hair needed a good haircut and he had large ice-blue eyes that concentrated on her. She saw him frowned as she detailed him, but he remained where he was and smiled as if trying to reassure her that he was no threat. He spoke again slowly and looked straight in her eyes.
- Lady Dana, I've been waiting a long time for you. Order me and I'll fight the golden dragon.

A moan escaped Dana's lips as he uttered those words. How did he know? Those were the words of a little girl playing with her sister under the cherry tree. And just then it all came back to her in a rush. The many sleepless nights they spent under a tent made of pink sheets in the bedroom in her aunt's house. Images of her and Clara as they whispered and ordered their Prince to dance for them or to tell fantastic stories of his many adventures. She had spent many happy hours playing with the prince and her sister in her aunt's garden. The attic had been their fortress and they had fought against the golden dragon when it rained outside.

Stunned, she also remembered how much trouble she got because of him. She thought the prince to be a friend of her aunt as he was always around when they came to visit her. But the adults and sometimes even Clara claimed that they could only hear him and not see him. Especially her aunt and her mother were always smiling when they pretended to play along in their games.
He let her study him and gave her a reassuring smile.
- Do you remember my name? Please, tell me you do. It is important.

She did not respond. She knew his name. It was there, floating, as a ghost from a long-forgotten dream. She had asked her mother so many times about the prince. She remembered now that her mother had thought she had mental problems and sent her to various specialists to "cure" her. She was not allowed to talk about him to anyone outside of the family. She had been so scared and felt so alone all this time. In the end, she promised not to talk about the prince anymore and she stopped visiting her aunt's house. The prince was erased, forgotten and she was allowed to return to school.


And now, here she was. 
Deeply moved by these memories, she took a tentative step towards him. Her hands slowly rising to her face, she felt the tears running down. She thought that she had her proof now, she was crazy after all. This man was just a ghost from the past. He spread out his arms but remained where he was, waiting for her to touch him. Questions were rushing inside her head and she wondered if her hands were going to touch him or pass through him.
- Dana. My name...say it, please.
She stopped in front of him and they now both stood in the middle of the room. The house was silent and snow was still falling on the garden. Her eyes searched his and, for the first time in a very long time, she felt complete as if coming home after an exhausting journey. 
- Hayden, she murmured.

His smile grew even larger and he quickly reached out for her. His huge arms around her waist, he lifted her off and swirled her in a swift movement. She stopped thinking about her mental state, about her childhood's memories and about her sister's death. She was finally reunited with him. Hayden. She repeated over and over his name as he made her dance in the living room.

- I promised you a long time ago that we would leave together. Are you ready my love? Because I am. I have been for as long as I can remember. When I was like you, I saw us, you and me, standing in this very room. All these years I waited for you to appear, saw you grow and I prayed. Finally, you've come back to me. Are you ready?
- Well, my bag is already packed, she answered half laughing and half wondering what was going to happen next.
- You will not need it, believe me.
________________________________

In the early morning, the old lady living next door walked her dog in the fresh snow. It had stopped snowing and the icy wind blew gently. With caution, she walked up the pavement and stopped in front of her dear friend's house.  Gasping, she saw the poor Japanese cherry tree partially lying on the ground. The snowstorm from yesterday night had been too much for the tree, or so she thought. Looking more closely at the house, she realised that the front door was open. She hesitated a few moments but finally decided to walk up to the house and rang the bell. No one answered and she noticed that the lights were still on in the hallway. She entered with her dog and called out.

- Hello. I am your neighbour, miss Lederman. I don't know if you remember me. I was a friend of your late aunt. Your door was open and with this cold weather ... Are you there?

She slowly entered the house and her little dog barked happily. Puzzled, she then entered the living room.

- Dana. Where are you? 

The room was empty and cold. There was only a brown leather travel bag on the ground.